Tuesday, 31st May 2011

Howzit

The winner of last night's live Britain's Got Talent semi final - Ronan Parke...

-o00o-

Today, I began the studying, heading towards exams in three months. I managed to get almost 5 hours done, and that could have been longer if I hadn't had the server experience a technical hitch for the thick end of an hour... I sincerely hope that it doesn't become a regular occurrence.

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I see that somehow the South African President, Jacob Zuma has become involved in the problems in Lybia. If he has been unable to sort out the crisis in Zimbabwe, how can anyone expect him to have any sway in Lybia with Gaddafi? A wasted trip, and a total waste in human resources and time...

I do not know who decided that he should go to Tripoli, but whoever it was should be asked the personally foot the bill...

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Obviously, the MDC is going to be blamed for this. Whether the policeman was killed by MDC or, as also suggested, ZANU PF, it is a sad reflection on the situation in Zimbabwe.

"A police officer was killed in Harare’s Glen View suburb on Sunday after suspected MDC-T youths attacked a ZRP detail investigating reports they were holding an illegal meeting.

Under the country's public order legislation all political gatherings and meetings must be cleared with the police.

ZRP spokesperson, Andrew Phiri, said a member of the police reaction group died following the skirmishes at Glen View 3 Shopping Centre.

"There was an illegal rally in Glen View and police details went to inquire what was happening. It is in the process that the suspected rowdy MDC-T youths started attacking the policemen with stones and other objects," Phiri told the government-run Herald newspaper."

Apparently Phiri has investigated the case fully, and has then adopted the duties of the court and has the people he accuses of the murder, tried and convicted in his mind.

But I would prefer if the case were investigated properly - without the political interference or the political bias of the senior police members and their spokespersons.

In Zimbabwe, the fact that a man is innocent until proven guilty obvious does not apply any more - unless those that have the accusatory finger is pointed at ZANU PF people and then they probably will be rewarded for their sins!

"During the attack, one of the officers was hit and fell unconscious and was pronounced dead on arrival at Harare Central Hospital."

Another officer was seriously injured during the skirmishes.

However, MDC-T spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora suggested the assailants were not members of his party.

"I received something like that. Our preliminary investigations indicate that the police attacked patrons at a bar," he said.

A witness said one of the officers was hit by a chair in the head before the youths started kicking him while he lay unconscious.

"The youths usually meet at that bar, but today (Sunday) when they had gathered police came trying to disperse them," the witness said."

As is the norm in Zimbabwe, the truth is a long way from the headlines..

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I received an email over the weekend that told of an attack in a home in the Northwood area of Harare which culminated in money, jewellery and a motor car being stolen, and the residents of the house being threatened and assaulted.

This shows the utter disregard that some Zimbabweans have for the law knowing that a report made to police will be twisted to reflect some wrongdoing by the complainant, and very little will be done to investigate the case.

And, because the complainants are white, it will be be very quickly closed "NSND" - No Suspect No Docket" - welcome to Chihuri's pro-Mugabe police force where the members are too busy hassling and arresting MDC people to do their real job...

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Whilst I understand that the death of one of their own will cause an upset, how does it justify the arrest of dozens of people?

"Police today arrested dozens of MDC-T activists and their families; most of them in their homes and workplaces on allegations of killing a police inspector who his colleagues say was murdered by unknown revellers at a liquor store in Glen View, Harare.

It is important to note that before any investigations had been done the police rushed to the national press to blame the MDC-T. The resultant arrests of MDC-T members are therefore an attempt to justify this unorthodox behaviour.

By late last night, the MDC-T and its lawyers failed to ascertain the whereabouts of those randomly picked up, ostensibly to facilitate investigations. The secrecy in which the swoop was carried out raises suspicion as neither the party nor the accused’s lawyers have been able to trace those netted in the offensive.

It is a fact that the police deny suspects food, and if injured, access to medical aid. For that reason, the MDC-T is keen to know about the fate of those unfortunately caught in the latest police dragnet."

The death was during an altercation with a small group of youths in a bar - reportedly. So how does arresting 'dozens' of people do anything - except upset the MDC?

Yes, a person dying is a serious affair, but then to arrest dozens of people achieves very little. When was Chihuri going to actually allow his officers to do what they swore to do when they joined up - 'serve and protect'?

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There is a growing resentment to the granting of asylum to a former CIO member in the United Kingdom. The individual concerned has indicated that he will not be rolling over on Mugabe...

Surely that in itself, is enough to reverse the order? This is a person who happily went to work as one of Mugabe's spies, and beat seven shades out of MDC members - and he has been granted the right to live here in the UK... I am born here, and I can guarantee he has been given everything he wants or desires, whilst I am left to suffer... Where is the fairness in that?

"An ex-spy who committed gruesome acts of torture on MDC and opposition activists and was granted easy asylum in the UK has said he is not prepared to expose Robert Mugabe before an international criminal court and the reasons for his leaving Zimbabwe were still unclear at the time of writing.

Almost eleven years after fleeing Zimbabwe and living in the United Kingdom for the duration of those years, the ex-CIO man said he was still bound under Zimbabwean law to maintain secrecy about Mugabe, according to his lawyer, Masimba Mavaza who at another time cited the Official Secrecy act and said Phillip Machemedze was only interested in protection and treatment.

Reports on Newsday quoted the ex-spy’s lawyer Chivaza who reportedly 'maintains' his client is not prepared to testify against the President or any government official, saying he was only interested in his 'protection and treatment'."

There you are... he admits that he only seeks 'protection' - from who? The people whom he lives amongst in the UK? With an attitude like his, perhaps he might be better returning to Zimbabwe...

Mugabe's laws don't have any legality here. He has obvious got an axe to grind with Mugabe - so why not tell all? Living here with the protection that the UK offers, whilst refusing to explain his activities and offer proof of Mugabe's duplicity just stinks...

This man has effectively been given immunity in the UK, and now lives amongst those who have given it all up to try and eke out a living here - myself included.

Absolutely disgusting. I now agree with the simple statement in one of the articles written about this case. "The Home Office is not appealing." They got that right!

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Is it a crime to use Mugabe's toilet? Obviously!

"In a rather unfortunate twist of fate, a Zimbabwean police sergeant's mad restroom dash is turning out to have disastrous - and even criminal - implications.

As the Guardian reports, Alois Mabhunu, a homicide detective in the western city of Bulawayo, was imprisoned on suspicion of invading the presidential privy after using a toilet reserved for President Robert Mugabe. The incident occurred at the annual Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF).

The Guardian quotes local radio station VOP as reporting:

"Mabhunu, due to the call of nature, rushed to the toilets reserved for Mugabe and his guest Ekra, but was stopped by other officers guarding the toilets," VOP said.

"Under intense pressure from the call of nature, the officer forced his way in and managed to relieve himself. He was arrested on 7 May after a report was made to Mugabe's security men and to senior police officers in the city."

So Mugabe has to have 'his space' - in Zimbabwe you can't look at Mugabe's motorcade as it speeds by - and you have to stand still when it zooms by, even if you are just a pedestrian... And Mugabe has his own toilet... What is he? Royalty?

I don't think so!

I remember, many years ago, when I was in the police based in Esigodini, Mugabe was opening a new school, or library, or some such thing... All the police details were on road duty, myself included...

The motorcade came flashing by. A few pick-ups behind with heavy armed soldiers right behind. One of these truck stopped and a soldier climbed off and ran over to where one of our number was standing. He was issued a KLAP from hell and fell over.

The soldier began bellowing at him that he needed to be facing away from the motorcade, not watching it. He brought his weapon up on the felled detail's chest and threatened to shoot him dead where he stood.

The two men stood face to face for the thick end of a minute, before the soldier dropped his weapon and punched our poor constable in the face. Trust me... no one, not even our senior police members moved.

The soldier climbed back on the vehicle, swearing loudly about the inadequacies of the ZRP.

This would have been in the first three years of Mugabe's rule as I was transferred to Plumtree in mid-to-late 1983... Even then, Mugabe had delusions of grandeur...

"A local human rights lawyer has called the charges into question. "There has to be a law saying the toilet is the president's, but this was a public one," Beatrice Mtetwa is quoted as saying. "They will have had to issue a proclamation in the government gazette specifying it. I bet they didn't do that." As the Daily Mail reports, Mabhunu has been held in a police detention barracks in the two weeks since his arrest, and was due to appear at a May 27 disciplinary hearing."

Oh, they will issue a proclamation and apply it retrospectively...

"The 87-year-old Mugabe's personal space has always been fiercely protected. Not only have motorists who accidentally get in the way of Mugabe's motorcade been reportedly assaulted, but even depictions of the president are subject to protection: the Guardian also reports that in March, Douglas Mwonzora, a leading member of the Movement for Democratic Change, was charged with insulting the president when he reportedly looked at a portrait of Mugabe and said: "How are you, father? How is your health?"

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Monday, 30th May 2011

Howzit

Today is a public holiday here and there will be no posting per se. But I did want to notify readers of impending changes.

As of tomorrow, I begin the Microsoft course. It is a 90-day deal and I need to give it full priority to secure a decent future in the game. So, in order to give the course the time I need, I will be studying in the morning, and, only if I am comfortable with the work done, will I embark upon a posting in the afternoon.

My goal...

I have made this discision as I really need to crack on with a minimum of 17 hours a week with the course if I am to secure the qualification. My preference is to do a aroiund 20 to 25 hours a week.

I hope that you all understand. I appreciate you continued support.

Take care.

'debvhu

Friday, 27th May 2011

Howzit

Foreign currency mid-rates updated...

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Today's posting will not be very long as I have quite a few things to do this morning. I will update as I know more... but things could get changed in quite a hurry.

UPDATE: It is now 0940hrs and already things have changed. Beginning next week, I will be doing a three month intensive course to come away with a MSCITP - DBA (Microsoft Certified IT Practitioner - Data Base Administrator) and this is done online with full tuition and support. There are various bits and pieces that go together to assist in securing employment, but I won't bore you with the details.

The qualification is internationally recognised. So I have my work cut out for me, but I do not see it getting in the way of my other internet endeavours...

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I am not about to lambaste the Ghanians for this opinion, but I am of the belief that a world leader can portray one persona when away from home, and be an entirely different beast when ensconced in their own home. Let's put it this way... why does Mugabe see fit to have mounted anti-aircraft guns at his mansion in Borrowdale Brook if he is such an incredibly good leader?

"The people of Ghana where President Robert Mugabe lived during the first years of the struggle for independence and later married local woman Sarah Heyfron, strongly believe the veteran politician is the best leader in Africa. Some say he was sent by the Almighty himself to lead Africa.

This came to light when Radio Vop correspondent visited some parts of Ghana a few days before the Africa Day holiday on May 25. The Ghanaians did not hide their love for Mugabe who turned 87 in February.

Villagers in the Kokbite Village located about 30 kilometres outside the Ghana capital Accra told Radio Vop that Mugabe is misunderstood.

"People don’t understand that man," said Annan Bedi, who works at the AB’s Royal Hotel in the Kokbite Village. "He challenges the white man, he is a strong man, just recently he went to Rome and we heard they wanted to block him but they failed."

Did Mugabe marry a 'Sarah'?

And Mugabe is hated just as much by the black man as the white man. The 'misunderstanding' of Mugabe is very simple. He never should have become Prime Minister/President of Zimbabwe because he has lied and cheated his way to the top.

End of story.

The Ghanians are welcome to their opinions...

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Let us remember that Jabulani Sibanda is not a war veteran. He is too young to have participated in the chimurenga, and when asked in a recent telephone call by reporters, he launched into a bitter vitriol and hung up...

A prime example of the Mugabe lie.

"In Masvingo province, self styled war veteran, Jabulani Sibanda has once again taken his threats and intimidation to Masvingo South constituency where on Sunday; he addressed civil servants and villagers at Musvovi Business Centre.

During the address, Sibanda threatened MDC supporters saying, whoever is rumoured to be doing MDC activities will be dealt with. However, villagers in the district said, Sibanda may say all he wants but real change was certainly coming. In Mashonaland East province, Obert Nhire, MDC Hwedza South committee member has embarked on a gardening project in the nine wards of the district worth thousands of dollars.

The programme, which started this month, has Nhire acquiring thousands of various vegetable seed packs that will benefit hundreds of villagers in the district. He said many projects in Hwedza South fail to kick off due to lack of adequate funding, but with the availability of reliable water sources, gardens would be more sustainable in the area."

Sibanda's threats work in contravention of the agree Global Political Agreement signed by Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara. It supposedly gives room for political campaigning, but also guards against 'hate speech'.

Sibanda's campaigning in Masvingo works against both of these provisions, but when you have the might of ZANU PF behind you, it is possible to say anything you want.

-o00o-

"SADC is now fed up with President Robert Mugabe and the regional leaders have reportedly decided to let the octogenarian go it alone should he decide to proceed with elections without a clear roadmap for free and fair elections.

Mediator to the Zimbabwean crisis, South African President Jacob Zuma, is widely expected to descend heavily on President Mugabe and wield the proverbial bobbejaan spanner (pipe wrench) when SADC Heads of State meet in Johannesburg on June 11, diplomatic sources said.

"Word is that SADC leaders have had enough of the Zimbabwe story which is taking up much of their time unnecessarily. President Mugabe remains intransigent and the result could be regional instability. The leaders are saying if President Mugabe wants to go ahead with elections this year without SADC’s go-ahead, he can do so at his own peril," a diplomat said."

The problem that we face is that Mugabe is determined to out think SADC and the SADC reaction is very lax, undecided and full of a reluctance to rock the boat.

The mediator, Jacob Zuma, whilst he has indicated his want to come down heavily on Mugabe, has been very quiet in his campaign to have Mugabe replaced/removed/reformed (delete the inapplicable).

SADC leaders must be just a little sick of Zimbabwe always being on the agenda, but then they don't go far enough with any of their mission statements, or they manage to remove Zimbabwe from the table for discussion.

"Another diplomat said the price would be too costly for Zimbabwe and President Mugabe should he proceed with plans to hold elections without the regional bloc’s thumbs-up.

"Tension is high ahead of the June 11 meeting on Zimbabwe. SADC has made its position clear and so has President Mugabe. But should President Mugabe shun advice, he will have himself to blame if the SADC leaders decide to ditch him like we hear they are contemplating. The Zimbabwe crisis has gone on for too long yet it could have been resolved years ago if President Mugabe wanted," the diplomat said.

But political analysts and observers say elections this year would plunge the country into a crisis because the process and the results will not be "legitimate"."

Mugabe too, must be quite sick of the SADC intentions which seemingly hang over his head, and should SADC decide to embark upon enforced reformation (I don't know how), then Mugabe will just remove Zimbabwe from the body. It is an option which I am sure that he is considering.

"They said should SADC let President Mugabe get his way, it would be a blow to the "struggle for democracy" in Zimbabwe.

"I think if SADC throws in the towel and gives (President) Mugabe the green light to go ahead with elections, it will be a sad day for the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe," political analyst Charles Mangongera said. "A lot of Zimbabweans and others, who are concerned about the future of the country in the region and abroad, have been pinning their hopes on SADC to be able to facilitate the creation of conditions that will allow Zimbabweans to freely express themselves."

The only problem that I see is that if Mugabe is allowed to fly solo, he is going to wreak havoc in Zimbabwe most certainly, and probably, the immediate region.

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With the arrest yesterday of Ratko Mladic for war crimes, Mugabe and his apologists must be worried. It is inevitable that they will be concerned, although they are of the opinion that whilst they have control, they are untouchable.

Nobody in the world is untouchable.

And we have to remember that the Gukurahundi has now been recognised as a genocide, which means, those behind the killings are to be held accountable.

"MDC-T leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has challenged his political rival, President Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF to come clean on violence and openly prove to Zimbabweans that their hands were not dripping with blood of opponents killed in the former ruling party’s violent campaigns.

Addressing party supporters in Brunapeg, 118km outside Plumtree in Matabeleland South Province on Wednesday, Tsvangirai said: "My hands have no blood, I am not the one who killed people during Gukurahundi, during Murambatsvina and close to 500 people killed during the bloody 2008 elections because they belong to a different political party.

"They (his hands) are clean and my conscience is also clear... can ZANU PF and (President) Mugabe stand before people and say our hands are clean?"

ZANU PF has repeatedly blamed MDC-T for orchestrating violence and recently reportedly told SADC leaders, the Premier’s party was behind the orgy of violence that gripped the country in the last few months.

But, Tsvangirai said the skirmishes were State-sponsored and in most cases led by ZANU PF elements within the country’s security sector."

When the police and the army are largely ZANU PF extensions, it is easy to manipulate numbers and reports to make the reading of the statistics to show the MDC to be the perpetrators. All we have to do is look back through recent reports and we will see that MDC victims, upon making a report to the police, were arrested themselves...

ZANU PF will more than likely ignore this challenge, deciding that responding to it would be skating on very thin ice. But they will also be aware that failure to answer the challenge will leave more questions unanswered...

"The violence we condemn is the State-sponsored one... those institutions (army and police) are meant to protect all Zimbabweans but that is not the case," he said.

Human rights groups have said close to 20000 people - mainly supporters of President Mugabe’s former chief rival, the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo based in Matabeleland and Midlands - were killed and thousands more driven away from their homes during a crack military operation commonly known as Gukurahundi in the early 1980s.

Although President Mugabe has acknowledged the incidents and described the atrocities as "a moment of madness", the ZANU PF leader has repeatedly snubbed calls for him to publicly apologise for the massacres.

Tsvangirai said ZANU PF was ruling by decree, adding the party was an illegitimate coalition government partner after losing to the MDC-T in the March 2008 harmonised election."

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Thursday, 26th May 2011

Howzit

Yesterday I spent a little time working on the cover of book I am writing. The contents of the book don't matter as it will be a private publication, but what I wanted to show here was a brilliant little freeware programme called Fotosketcher.

I worked with a photograph of myself taken in May last year in London.

I then turned it into a sketch and then, using some other art software, removed the extraneous background - oh, and I rotated it about 4 degrees counterclockwise.

I am particularly pleased with the results.

I have a feeling that I might be using this programme again...

-o00o-

Ah... I see a plan in the making here.

The United Kingdom allowed a former Central Intelligence Organisation operative asylum in the country, even though he is responsible for some pretty horrendous act again MDC supporters.

You will recall, no doubt, my comments on the subject as I feel that there are numerous Zimbabweans scattered throughout the world who are struggling daily to make ends meet and this individual is given it all on a silver platter.

But perhaps the authorities intend to use his insider knowledge...

"Phillip Machemedze, the former Central Intelligence Organisation operative who was granted asylum in the United Kingdom, faces interrogation from International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors, who are keen to build a case against President Robert Mugabe, sources have revealed.

The development comes at a time when human rights organisations and pressure groups are campaigning for Machemedze’s deportation for violating human rights.

His lawyer, Masimba Mavaza of IEI Solicitors, a former prosecutor at the Harare Magistrates’ Court and lecturer at the Police Staff College, confirmed his client was under pressure although he said he would not testify against the President or any government official.

According to reports from the UK, Machemedze admitted smashing an MDC supporter’s jaw with pliers, and then pulling out his tooth.

He also reportedly took part in the torture and killing of several MDC activists."

I have two points only...

Firstly - was the asylum granted on the proviso that he testify against Mugabe?

Secondly - Machemedze is HIV+ which means that by the time Mugabe is dragged to the ICC, he would died. And Mugabe will probably have joined him.

The idea that Mugabe could be prosecuted in the ICC is foolhardy as we all know that he enjoys the protection of the regional powers, and, as I say, he will probably do a Milosevic who died in custody at the ICC just days before the verdict on his trial for war crimes was due to be delivered.

"His asylum request was initially turned down by the British Home Office which said he had "committed crimes against humanity".

But Justice David Archer of the First Tier Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber allowed Machemedze and his wife’s appeals in a judgment delivered on May 4, 2011. The Home Office is not appealing.

An impeccable source said the case has revealed that Machemedze was granted asylum partly because the UK government wanted him to be questioned by ICC prosecutors, hence the decision by the Home Office not to appeal."

I doubt that we will hear very much more of this man or the intended ICC case against Mugabe.

-o00o-

Anyone who has been following news and events in Zimbabwe over the last few years will be aware the Mugabe used the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe as his personal cash point. The governor of the bank, Gideon Gono, was unilaterally appointed and this is one of the obstacles in the on/off cross party negotiations... more than three years after ZANU PF lost the parliamentary majority in 2008.

And now there are stories coming out of Zimbabwe that the RBZ is riddled with corruption, graft and theft.

"Board members at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) are allegedly taking home as much as US$2,000 a month in allowances, while ordinary workers receive a paltry US$150 a month. The Daily News reports that because of this key staff members are resigning and others are applying en-masse to be retrenched.

The newspaper says that so serious are the problems Finance Minister Tendai Biti summoned the board members to his office for an explanation of both the looting allegations and the mass resignations by senior employees. Workers now want the government to intervene and stop the pillaging of the central bank.

The Daily News obtained documents showing that board members collected more than US$111,000 in retainer and sitting fees, as well as fuel and communication allowances from May last year. Deputy Chairman Charles Kuwaza got US$14020, Willard Manungo (US$10745), Godfrey Kanyenze (US$10920), Primrose Kurasha (US$12870 and Daniel Ndlela US$11570.

The controversial Governor of the central bank, Gideon Gono, did not claim any money and told the paper he would only get his share of directors’ allowances once the bank had got back on its feet. As Gono is renowned for being seriously wealth, he is unlikely to go hungry while waiting.

Workers at the bank are said to be puzzled at what the board members actually do, since Finance Minister Biti cut down the scope of responsibilities assigned to the central bank."

Think about it. Before the Zimbabwean dollar was abandoned, Mugabe used to milk it for all that it was worth, and now, with the unity (!) government, the focus shifts away - but it hasn't stopped Mugabe from travelling wherever and whenever he wants (but he doesn't travel to countries that won't allow him to).

The RBZ is supposed to be the central point for the country's finances, bar the Finance Ministry, but this obviously does not stop the people on the inside from plundering what little riches are left.

A forensic audit of the bank is urgently needed, but what makes me think that this will be interfered with as ZANU PF have so much to hide?

"Additionally the Zim dollar is not in use, something that would have been a core function of the bank. Before the coalition government the bank used to be notorious for printing endless amounts of money to finance quasi-fiscal activities and prop up the Mugabe regime. This, among other disastrous policies, was blamed for the hyper-inflation that set world records."

Auditing the bank is the only answer. And somebody needs to face criminal charges for the manner in which the bank was run.

-o00o-

I have, in the last few weeks, noticed that Mugabe's police are arresting all manner of people on the most spurious charges. Yesterday we looked at the intended prosecution of an individual who has been publicly discussing the torture of people in Zimbabwe. How is that a crime?

Today, I read of a policeman who used the toilet at the International Trade Fair that was reserved for Mugabe. He is now languishing in cells. Go figure.

"Police in Tsholotsho have continued to deny lawyers access to two officials from the ZimRights civic group, who were arrested in this area of Matabeleland North on Monday. Regional coordinator Florence Ndlovu, and paralegal officer Walter Dube, have not been seen since they were taken by police at a roadblock set up 'to specifically arrest' them. They had been banned from holding an anti torture workshop at Tshino Business centre, even though they had a court order giving them permission.

ZimRights director, Okay Machisa, told SW Radio Africa that he was "very, very worried" for their safety, after a police guard with an AK 47 rifle told lawyers on Wednesday he had been "instructed to shoot" if they continued trying to pass through the gate."

Now we have lawyers, who, according to their remit, need to speak with their clients, and are threatened with being shot! And we have to realise that the two detained persons were en route to an anti-torture workshop for which they had a court order allowing them to proceed.

So what criminal charge could they face? And how is it acceptable that the lawyers are threatened with being shot?

"Colleagues from ZimRights who had brought some food were also denied entry into Nyamandlovu police station, where they say Ndhlovu and Dube are being held, although police deny this.

"The car they were driving is no longer parked in a conspicuous place where everyone can see it." Machisa said. He added that the vehicle driven by the arrested officials was now parked behind the police station. "How can they have the car and not have the people that own it?" a frustrated Machisa asked."

I have noted that the police in Zimbabwe have begun to arrest people for anything they want, and then, after a few days of torture and starvation, they are released with no charge.

But when the police are incapable of allowing people to carry out their functions - even when they have a court order allowing them to do this - then we have to realise that ZANU PF is becoming more and more desperate to hang on to power and this is their unfettered response.

"Ndhlovu and Dube were in Tsholotsho to teach villagers about the evils of torture and its effects, in an area where thousands of them suffered during the so-called Gukurahundi massacres of the mid-eighties. But police banned the workshop, saying "the subject of torture is not in line with Zimbabwean culture".

The arrests were similar to an incident in Lupane last month, when police arrested MDC-N MP Moses Mzila Ndhlovu, who is also a co-Minister for National Healing, and Father Max Mkandla, a priest who had given a church service on the massacres."

-o00o-

There was an article on the internet yesterday which I found distinctly disturbing. It was a response from the Mthwakazi Liberation Front about the burning of a Zimbabwean flag in South Africa.

The flag was burned as a protest over the marginalisation of the Matabele people in Zimbabwe. The response stated that the flag does not belong to one political party, but is a national symbol.

But, the MLF says, it was imposed upon the country by a 'Shona supremacist party' and therefore falls short of representing all Zimbabweans.

"It is a known fact that the Zimbabwean flag was designed and imposed on the people of modern day Zimbabwe by a Shona supremacist party called ZANU PF. Its dominant symbols are representative of ZANUism, Shona supremacism and Shona-centricity. The absence of Matabeleland symbols in the Zimbabwean national flag is clearly consistent with the historic state sponsored marginalization of this region."

I feel that burning the flag is a dangerous move, as it will result in the arrest of key members of the MLF allowing further marginalisation of the Matabele. If anything, they might have considered burning the ZANU PF flag...

I really do wish that they has thought this one through before acting.

-o00o-

Staying with the MLF, "Incacerated Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF) senior official Paul Siwela has been admitted to a clinic at the notorious Khami Maximum Security Prison on the outskirts of Bulawayo after his blood pressure went up.

According to his close friends, Siwela was rushed to the prison clinic a few days ago after prison officers reported that he had turned pale and had become too weak to stand.

His lawyer Lucas Nkomo of the newly formed Abameli Human Rights Network confirmed that Siwela was seen by a medical officer at the clinic after his condition deteriorated last week due to high blood pressure caused by too much stress.

Siwela has been in detention since March when he and two other MLF Bulawayo executive leaders, John Gazi and Charles Thomas were arrested for allegedly distributing what police described as "subversive material" whose aim was to incite Zimbabweans especially those from the western province of Matabeleland to rebel against President Robert Mugabe.

When the three officials appeared in court, the judge granted the two, Gazi and Thomas bail of US$2000 leaving Siwela to be incarcerated in prison.The judge said Siwela who is a prominent businessman in Bulawayo, had another serious case pending and related to his activities with those seeking a separate Ndebele state."

Siwela's detention may be prolonged and he may be of poor health, but the burning of the flag will not help his cause.

Seeking a separate State of Matabeleland will probably not work, but the idea that the country should be split on tribal lines is asking for a civil war of sorts. The Shana and the Matabele are irrevocably linked and mixed throughout Zimbabwe.

Yes, there may be a case for the Matabele to be included in politics and society more, but doing it through incitement and the burning of the national flag is just plain stupid...

"When he appeared for another bail hearing two weeks ago, a Harare judge told Siwela to write an affidavit dissociating himself from the activities of those seeking a separate state of Matabeleland. Meanwhile Gazi, a former ZIPRA special weapons expert is fighting allegations that he has been a mole for the secret service since the 90s.

Another MLF official, Max Mkandla, also a former ZIPRA guerrilla officer has denied he has links with the spy agency, the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)."

-o00o-

Not that long ago, I commented on a story that England was going to provide a further one hundred million pounds in aid to Zimbabwe. This story says that Zimbabwe still owes the ECGD another 190 million pounds and are not in any position to repay any of it.

What is it about the West that they have to lend money and give money in huge piles to Mugabe - even if he does amlign and ridicule the West whenever he can?

"Zimbabwe owes Britain’s Export Credit Guarantee Department 190.4 million pounds and has not indicated when it will repay the money, the Undersecretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Edward Davey, told the House of Commons yesterday.

Zimbabwe is among 24 countries, eight of them African, which owe the ECGD 2.4 billion pounds.

Sudan owes the highest amount of 663.68 pounds and like Zimbabwe has not indicated when it will repay the money."

I would have thought, the moment that a country fails to begin repayments or indicates a reluctance to do anything about it, that the taps would be turned off. Even England is experiencing a hard time with the economic downturn, and why should we struggle whilst Zimbabwe and other countries renege on the loans?

"Relations between Britain and Zimbabwe have been frosty but this has not affected business to a large extent. It is estimated that there are about 400 British companies in Zimbabwe."

It is absolute financial suicide to lend and give more money to Zimbabwe before we see any long term and lasting reforms...

But my feelings are obviously not shared by those in the halls of power.

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Wednesday, 25th May 2011

Howzit

Foreign currency mid-rates updated...

-o00o-

Well, this morning we are supposed to have someone come in and fix the boiler. It is already half eight as I begin this, and not a sign...

UPDATE 1: An engineer from the contractor pitched up at just gone 9:30... and, would you believe it, the control plate that fits to the end of the push rod is absent once again! He has headed out to see if he can find one (although previous contractor engineers have failed), but at least he has left his tools here so we are at least assured of his return.

And once again, our house is a tip as we have had to move things to allow the engineer access.

I will update again if anything happens... which somehow I doubt.

UPDATE 2: I stand corrected... The engineer returned, and had found the required plastic button. Smaller than even the old ha'penny piece. He fitted it, and we now have hot water in the kitchen and the bathroom. B is just so grateful to this engineer, and I am too.

Hopefully that is an end to it...

-o00o-

Whenever I read about human rights charges and the torture of people in Zimbabwe, I cannot but help to think of the travel sanctions in place against Mugabe, and the alacrity he had in deporting the United Nations torture specialist very early this year.

Mugabe, by throwing the specialist out, opens himself up to two critical points.

Firstly - the lack of any transparency of the operations conducted in Zimbabwe by the various arms of the security services. If there were no torture allegations, then the United Nations would not feel obliged to send one of their specialists into Zimbabwe. And, by Mugabe throwing him out again before he even left Harare International airport, he displays the lack of transparency without having to argue the case - and the UN's case is proven before it even began.

Secondly - by deporting the specialist, Mugabe displays that he has the same choice that countries elsewhere in the world have. He protects Zimbabwean borders (ostensibly) and he has the right to deport whoever he doesn't want in Zimbabwe. The countries that have signed up to the targeted sanctions also have the right to prevent the entry into their country of undesirable people.

One would think that what the countries preventing the entry of Mugabe and his thugs are, in actual fact, doing him a favour. At least he knows not to plan travel to those countries, unlike the specialist, who had actually arrived in Zimbabwe before being turned around and sent on his way - and thereby they have saved him the cost of the flight to and from...

If you ask me, it is very decent of them to pre-warn him.

"Fresh allegations of human rights abuses have surfaced from the Marange diamond field of eastern Zimbabwe with activists accusing Mbada Diamonds, a partner with the Harare government of setting guard dogs on residents to pressure them to relocate.

Local sources said guard dogs have attacked four residents of the Chiadzwa area of the Marange diamond zone over the past two weeks.

Chiadzwa Community Development Trust Chairman Malvern Mudiwa, currently facing charges of inciting villagers in Marange to resist relocation, said Mbada is deliberately putting residents in a desperate situation so they will agree to relocation.

"There are so many abuses from the security guards, which are being led by a white man," Mudiwa said. "They are letting their dogs to people and livestock."

I find it very confusing that the chairman should 'be facing charges of inciting residents to resist relocation' - since when is refusing to be moved without compensation, at least, a criminal offence?

And who is the white man that is leading the security guards? Is this the Russian that was reported on quite a while back? If so, this man is already known for his brutality...

"Mudiwa said the attacks began when Mbada created a so-called fireguard around a new claim. Mudiwa said Mbada security guards "are patrolling that area quite frequently with their vicious dogs" even though families are still living within the demarcated claim.

"The fireguard is already in the people’s areas," Mudiwa said. "You just have to cross it because you can’t avoid it. It’s where you’re staying." The people who were attacked had been searching for their livestock near the boundary of Mbada’s claim."

Mugabe and his flunkies make the rules and regulations up as they go along. And no amount of common sense is going to make him/them realise the errors of their ways.

"With police backup, Mbada started relocating residents three weeks ago, moving 44 families from the diamond zone to ARDA Transau Farm in Odzi, about 60 kilometers away. Another company operating in the Marange zone, Anjin, has relocated 178 families since 2010 and forcibly removed another 24 last weekend, activist Mudiwa said.

Manicaland spokesman Pishai Muchauraya of the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister Tsvangirai said he saw armed police forcing villagers into Chinese lorries over the weekend. Anjin is operated by Chinese investors.

VOA was unable to reach Mbada or Anjin officials for comment."

Does Anjin have any plans to sign over 51% of their ownership to ZANU PF - sorry, I meant indigenous - ownership? Somehow I don't think that they are included in the firmgrab...

"Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association Head Researcher Shamiso Mtisi says families moved out of Chiadzwa - often forcibly by the military - are only receiving a thousand dollars compensation for the seizure of their homes and farming plots.

"There is lack of transparency in the manner of calculating the compensation," Mtisi said. "If the process were well managed, these communities would be signing some sort of contract with the mining companies in terms of services and provisions."

It would appear that Chiadzwa has become close to a war zone, with the army assuming responsibility for the forced re-locations.

I will say it again - Mugabe doesn't care...

-o00o-

Regular readers of this page and many others about Zimbabwe will know that life in a Mugabe jail is probably worse than death.

We have read the comments that were made by Roy Bennett on his release from prison, and we have also read the stories told by the Zimbabwean prison warden that escaped to the United Kingdom.

And we have no option but to believe the horrendous stories, even though Mugabe and his underlings will assure you that they are lies.

Then there is the footage of Zimbabwean prison shot by an undercover SABC team which caused so much clamour last year - from the Zimbabwean side and resulted in the prosecution of three wardens. The prosecutions failed, but the warden were fired anyway.

"A Zimbabwe Prison Service truck, popularly known as "Magumete", rumbles as it slowly drives into the Prison Fellowship of Zimbabwe (PFZ) premises along Beatrice Road in Harare.

Fifty-six inmates are singing different songs and the melodies come out through the truck's tiny, highly placed meshed windows and louvered vents. The music seems to override the engine sound of the huge green and gold striped truck.

It is laden with convicts coming to a special anniversary meant to reunite them with long-forgotten relatives and friends, all at once.

Female inmates are donning green African attires and men are in gray and crème outfits.

The truck finally halts in front of the crowd and queues of inmates of both sexes jostle out hoping to give hugs to relatives and friends who they believe are waiting for them outside.

"Amai vangu muripi, mukoma mauya navo here? (mum where are you, did you come with my brother)," an inmate shouts as he disembarks from the truck.

But to their surprise, only two relatives are standing near the truck and they are the only ones who have made it to the venue.

Are all the 56 incarcerated people all related to the two visitors?

The two visitors disappear between the inmates and start looking for their relatives.

At the same time some prisoners gaze around hoping to see their relatives emerging from the lavatories or from the corners of the few buildings within the premises.

But the sad reality is that only two relatives of the prisoners have come to the anniversary while many other people in attendance are good Samaritans who want to worship with them at the "halfway house". The prisoners are left with unanswered questions of why those they hold closest have shunned them.

Do the convicts, some of whom have rehabilitated, really deserve such emotional "punishment"? Will their families who have ignored this special meeting give them accommodation and food. The inmates believe that what they have seen is just a fore test of what they should expect when they complete their jail-terms?

Others who had been through the same road took some time to comfort them."

This is the stark reality of jailed persons in Zimbabwe. Rejected by the community, treated badly by prison staff in an unforgiving environment, these people find their emotions now being the target of the day.

Not every person that ends up behind bars in Zimbabwe are incapable of reform. But the prison service is obviously intent on making life as difficult as possible for the inmates. Toying with their hearts is just the icing on the cake.

"A woman who identified herself only as Martha gave a testimony of how she ended up in prison and how her family disowned her. Martha said she married a youthful husband who moved from the rural areas to Harare to look for a job.

While in Harare, her husband was hypnotised by the urban beauties thereby forgetting to support her and their child.

"This prompted me to follow my husband and I found out that he had a mistress and that is where he was spending all his money. I was so angry and my first reaction was to pick up a log that was close-by and hit him in the legs until when he could not walk. This paralysed his legs.

"I was sentenced to an effective eight months in prison and was extensively counselled. I also went for anger management lessons and am reformed though some people still do not trust me," she said.

She says the moment she was released from prison her family was not comfortable being around her and she had to rebuild her life alone. However, with time, some of her brothers started visiting and seem to be getting along with her.

"During that time none of my relatives visited me, including my in-laws. Surprisingly, my husband was willing to forgive me, but his relatives were against our reunion. My husband's relatives openly said they feared I would kill their son," she said.

The Herald also spoke with Martin Sora who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in 1999 for armed robbery. He was classified as a class D prisoner, meaning he was a notorious criminal.

Time flew and he went to class C, B, A and was eventually was released a born again Christian.

He got counselling from the PFZ before his release.

"The problem now is that the community sees me as this big monster that can pounce on them yet I have reformed. I thinK there is need to teach society that prison reforms people, making them better," he said.

Jack Moyo (not his real name) testified that he defrauded one of the local companies when he was the accounting manager.

"I was given an effective 10-year sentence after I made the wrong choice and stole huge amounts of money between 1997 and 2000."

"The time I got out, my son had just written O' Level examinations. The economy was also in doldrums and many of my relatives died while I was in prison.

"My wife left me and went to South Africa," Moyo said. He said his family neglected his minor children saying they had thieving blood in them.

Jack received proper counselling and has reunited with his wife. However, the business community still shuns him whenever he tables a profitable business idea because they fear he will get back to his old tricks. But the support from his wife gives him strength each day. A counsellor at the PFZ, Mrs Edith Mavhoko said the Prison Fellowship Zimbabwe centre for reformation, invited inmates, ex-inmates, church institutions and members of the society including spouses and relatives of prisoners to commemorate the institution's 17 years of existence.

She noted that it is sad that that a few relatives and friends turned up to meet the inmates because of varying reasons, chief amongst them stigma. Mrs Mavhako said such stigma should be buried in the past as people reform when in prison.

"Most of the people in the country's jails either come from broken families or are orphans. When they grow up parental guidance lack and they are mistreated which mutates them into criminals. The society and family is to blame for all the criminal activities.

"We have to embrace and give them a second chance once they are back into the society. All I can say is there is no exoneration when it comes to imprisonment. Let's support each other especially when one has reformed," Mrs Mavhoko added. Others are of the perception that convicts are sent to jail for rehabilitation but do not get much support. They say they should be adequately prepared to face the world in the event they have to re-integrate with society. Others say prisoners have to be punished at all costs since they are unpredictable.

"Some families and friends rarely come to see the convicted individual. They might do so in the first few days but as time flies no one even thinks of them.

"For this reason we find that pauper's burials are accorded to inmates who die in custody and no relative comes forth to claim their body," said Mrs Nancy Madzima of Hatfield.

Some fear that some criminals may not take seriously the help they get in jails. A typical example could be that of 'unrepentant' criminals who after being released tend to revert to criminal activities before they are resent to jail.

Of course some people could be termed habitual criminals but there could be underlying circumstances that might force them to stick to the criminal habits. Some convicts say prison is better because they receive various skills so that they can assist themselves once they step out of the correctional institutions. This is because there has to be rectification of what they lacked in society or they did not access.

They involve motor mechanics, carpentry, tailoring and farming. The arts industry has also boomed in that we have seen the emanation of the Chikurubi farm choir, the Professional Dance, Drama and Comedy group and the Divine touch choral group that sings gospel music.

Apart from that there could be citing of notable figures in our society who managed to study various honours degrees when they were sent to jail under different circumstances. These include Hebert Chitepo, Joshua Nkomo and even Nelson Mandela who studied when he was convicted with a life sentence for leading the revolutionary movements Africa. The prison garb we see mostly referred to as "makhaki", gowns that are donned by magistrates and the military green uniforms worn by prison guards are sewn by prisoners in the prison's sewing section.

With these skills, it is very possible for the ex-convicts to be employed and perform like any other individual as long they are given a second chance."

-o00o-

ZANU PF continue to act with total impunity in Zimbabwe. Whether their crimes are theft, robbery, assault or murder, it is acceptable to the political party. These crimes are reported to the police, but nine times out of ten, they result in the MDC complainant being arrested instead.

"ZANU PF thugs led by war veteran Tsikida of village 17 in ward 21 confiscated MDC-T regalia and important documents from members who had attended the recent party Congress.

"Confiscated items included t-shirts, caps, hand bags with party insignia and information on the congress agenda. Meeting minutes regarding previous MDC-T ward 21 deliberations were also seized," said an MDC-T activist.

Tsikida recently grabbed a homestead allocated to a villager, Peace Muhwati. He kicked off an MDC activist, Gambe, from the stand accusing him of continuing to be MDC despite Tsvangirai being a 'puppet' of western countries. Gambe is nephew to Muhwati the landlord.

Village 17 is headed by headman Muhwati who was accused of conspiring with ZANU PF thugs to make life difficult for MDC members. Elsewhere in the district, MDC members who attended the congress were being summoned by a Grasslands area based ZANU PF thug, Chidhakwa, to appear before a disciplinary hearing at his homestead.

"Chidhakwa, a member of ZANU PF district coordinating committee based in ward 4, was last Sunday threatening to take the MDC members to CIO offices for disciplining. The names were already with CIO and what was left was for the accused to report at the CIO offices in company of Chidhakwa. Chidhakwa also warned wanted MDC members against resisting to his demands as dire consequences would follow," said one of the hunted MDC officials yesterday."

Why is it that there are never any reports about ZANU PF doing something good for the country or for the population? We have read about how Mugabe has donated computers to schools, but always in the run-up to an election (and then we discover that the computers all died within a few weeks of the donation), but we never read of ZANU PF doing something wholesome, something that is not linked to politics or some national subterfuge...

-o00o-

I have been saying for months, if not years, that SADC are less use than an ashtray on a bicycle. Perhaps someone else has realised this as well, and they are now calling for aid to SADC to be reduced or stopped until a lasting solution is found and implemented on the Zimbabwean crisis.

For some people, including myself, the only solution is the removal (by democratic means - do not read anything else into my words) of Robert Mugabe and his hitherto vicious and bloody ZANU PF party.

"Pressure continues to grow on the British government to suspend all direct financial aid to the leadership in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), until it implements a plan that will bring real democratic change to Zimbabwe.

The London based protest group, the Zimbabwe Vigil, has been calling for these measures for several months, "to help focus the minds of SADC leaders". The group’s Rose Benton told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that country’s who insist on supporting Robert Mugabe should not receive any financial support from Britain, because they act against Britain’s own commitments to protection of human rights.

"The whole region will be affected if Mugabe is allowed to continue his reign of bad governance. The whole region will be compromised, if it isn’t already," Benton explained, adding: "If Britain wants stability in the region and respect for human rights, then they need to take serious action against the governments that stand in the way."

Benton was speaking just days after rampant corruption within the SADC Secretariat was revealed by the Namibian newspaper, the Windhoek Observer. On the same day the regional bloc’s summit of leaders got underway, the newspaper reported that this corruption is set to be investigated.

According to inside sources quoted by the newspaper, the audit will examine a wide range of issues surrounding the operations of the top management at the Secretariat. The sources told the Windhoek Observer that if SADC goes ahead and institutes the forensic audit, "it could open up a can of worms"."

Who cares what can of worms it will open? A failure by SADC to sanatise their own policies and financial management would make them no better than the very person they seek to appease.

Mugabe will be laughing all day long. Is that meant to be some sort of threat? It now would appear that SADC is equatable to the ZANU PF party insofar as the corruption is concerned.

How can a corrupt institution stand as guarantor of an agreement between a known corrupt leader and his party and the political party that won the election in 2008? Indeed, how can the loser of an election hold the moral high ground in negotiations with the winner as to how much power the winner is allowed?

"We want an investigation because this has become an institution of money laundering, they create illegal contracts, they are always travelling abroad, there is no transparency and accountability, and they lie to the Council," the sources are quoted as saying.

The sources also told the newspaper that corrupt SADC officials "use regional integration as a shield and in this case an investigation will be the only solution". The sources said the implementation of regional projects "has suffered because those heading the Secretariat do not seem to have the plight of SADC citizens at heart, but show more interest in flying first-class and living in luxury hotels".

It was further alleged that there was "rampant misuse of donor and member state funds", saying top officials at the Secretariat "have an addiction to lavish spending". The Zimbabwe Vigil’s Benton said such allegations of corruption do not come as a surprise, adding that these reports alone should force the UK and Europe to at least consider some kind of funding cut."

The time for SADC to be deconstructed is now. Any interests they have should be taken over by the African Union, although that institution will also need a forensic audit to ensure that the same situation is not lurking under the surface.

Guarantors of the GPA? Give me a break!

"We believe that Britain and the European Union can be much tougher on the countries and institutions that they give aid to. They should be insisting that human rights be a top priority for any country they give aid to," Benton said."

-o00o-

What's the bet that the court order is either disobeyed, or that once released, the accused persons will find themselves re-arrested?

"Zimbabwe's High Court ordered the immediate release Tuesday of six former army officers accused of plotting to topple President Robert Mugabe.

The alleged coup plotters have been in prison since 2007, despite several attempts by their lawyers to have them released. Treason carries a death sentence in Zimbabwe.

After reading a seven-page ruling, Justice Yunus Omerjee said it was apparent that the defendants should not have been commuted to custody and he said a declaratory order will be issued to that effect. Justice Joseph Musakwa concurred.

In July, the High Court dismissed the case because the alleged coup plotters had not been brought to court for trial within six months, as required by law. State prosecutors responded by re-indicting them. The defendants appealed to the High Court to throw out the re-indictment.

The man accused of being the ringleader of the alleged coup plot, Albert Matapo, was arrested in 2007, as were six other suspects: Nyasha Zivuku, Oncemore Mazivahona, Emmanuel Marara, Patson Mupfure, Shingirai Mutemachani and Rangarirai Maziofa. They were accused of plotting to violently topple Mugabe and replace him with the country's defense minister, Emerson Mnangagwa. The suspects denied the allegations against them, and one was later released.

Their attorneys said if the state wished to pursue the matter, their clients would not be detained. It was not immediately clear what action the state would take."

Only time will tell...

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Tuesday, 24th May 2011

Howzit

It is now just gone 5pm on Monday and I am livid. If I told you that we still do not have any hot water in the kitchen or bathroom, would you believe me?

And this is after a rather heated discussion with the council 'help' line and me basically pleading with them to do the right thing.

An engineer did pitch up, took a look and disappeared, promising to come back to us, either physically or on the phone. Silence.

So B phoned the council again. And still nothing!

The lunacy of it is that this is all because of a plastic piece about the size and shape of a 1p coin. We are now going into our eleventh day without... and do they care? Not at all!

(Oh, and we were offered £10 compensation for the trouble. I told them to stick it as they obviously need the money more than me.)

Update: Today I am not even going to try and phone the council as I am tired of begging. If they are content to allow their tenants to live as if it were a third world country, so be it. But I will never again trust a council, a local authority or local government...

This morning we were called and told to expect the contractors here at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. So, yet another day - and I will be watching the clock tomorrow morning as why should we get up early if they are not going to be on time?

I am totally disgusted.

-o00o-

Mugabe will use whatever is in his arsenal to resist change. Not that long ago, he was a feted friend of Jacob Zuma and we have all seen photo of Mugabe holding Zuma's hand at various functions. Now that Zuma has decided to get serious (well, not necessarily serious, but he has decided to take the harder line) with Mugabe and ZANU PF, Mugabe has now decided that it is time to ditch the South African President.

A long time ago, when SADC were still flip-flopping over who might be the mediator, I did put forward a name. Jerry Rawlings...

Jerry John Rawlings (born Jeremiah Rawlings John 22 June 1947 in Accra, Gold Coast) is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001. He initially took power in a coup d'état, but in the 1990s following sustained political and economic pressure from international institutions and governments began a process of economic and then political liberalization. He founded the National Democratic Congress which won the 1992 general election. He took office in 1993, and was re-elected in 1997.

Somehow I doubt that Mugabe would reject Rawlings, whilst Rawlings himself would probably reject Mugabe...

"President Robert Mugabe has intensified his fight against an emerging consensus among SADC leaders for him to go, by among other tactics, trying to sideline and remove no-nonsense facilitator President Jacob Zuma.

Well-placed SADC sources told the Daily News yesterday that Mugabe had now identified Zuma as his biggest problem. This was because the South African president was "unshakable in his impartiality and determination" to see an election roadmap in Zimbabwe that would usher in a credible election next year or in 2013, that would be devoid of violence and rigging as happened in the disputed 2008 presidential election runoff.

The sources also said their own intelligence had established that Mugabe and his ZANU PF party were pushing for Zuma’s isolation because they were aware that they could not win a fair election. To that extent, Mugabe and his ZANU PF viewed Zuma’s drive for a mutually agreed roadmap within the Global Political Agreement (GPA) context as an attack on Mugabe and the former ruling party."

So, Mugabe has decided that Zuma's work is done. I would disagree with him, only because Zuma didn't do anything! He did even less than he predecessor, Thabu Mbeki... and that is saying something!

So who does Mugabe want as a mediator? One of his fawning regional leaders? The choice of a mediator should not fall to Mugabe, but should be influenced by SADC who are the guarantors of the GPA - and if they decide to leave Zuma in place, tough on Mugabe!

(He will probably then withdraw from any negotiations - and just play the waiting game.)

"Mugabe last week made two remarkable moves. Firstly, the 87-year-old - who has been to the Far East for medical reasons five times since December - effectively declared himself fit to rule for life. He then unsuccessfully attempted to foist his agenda for an early election at Friday’s SADC summit in Namibia that Zuma did not attend.

SADC firmly rebuffed the bid.

"We are totally against the idea of a new election roadmap as it means re-negotiating the Global Political Agreement instead of implementing it," read ZANU PF’s position paper that was circulated in Windhoek. Mugabe had, through the position paper, tried to take advantage of Zuma’s absence to overturn resolutions of the SADC troika on politics, defence and security which called for an end to violence, the full implementation of the GPA and elections only after the roadmap has been completed.

But one of the top SADC officials who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said Mugabe’s attempts to attack and weaken Zuma and his facilitation team was "backfiring badly"."

Mugabe, if he doesn't get his own way, will now closet himself with his party, away from the negotiations and calculate his next move, which will probably include a verbal whip lashing for the West, a complaint-ridden whinge at SADC and a step-up in violence against the Zimbabwean people.

Who needs a crystal ball when it comes to Mugabe and ZANU PF?

"Among other "ill-considered moves" by ZANU PF, the former ruling party had written to Zuma demanding the removal of Ambassador Lindiwe Zulu from the facilitation team, "alleging rather ridiculously" that she was biased against ZANU PF.

The SADC insider said this move was being interpreted by the region as a very direct way by Mugabe and his party of asking Zuma to step aside from his facilitation work.

"This is surprising because Mugabe is literally biting the hand that feeds him. What future is there for Mugabe, ZANU PF and Zimbabwe without South Africa’s immense sacrifice for its neighbour. Without Zuma and the GPA that he has kept together at great cost to him personally and his country, Mugabe would not be president anyway.

"Nevertheless, Mugabe is wasting time because SADC is sick and tired of his machinations. He wants to trick us into believing that President Zuma is biased but it’s far from it.

"We are aware that Zuma’s frankness has rattled Mugabe and that is why he brought in his position paper which was ignored. Now they are spreading propaganda that it is Mugabe who said Zimbabwe must be discussed in the presence of President Zuma and other political players," the official said."

-o00o-

The problem that faces the free world is that very little is known about Robert Gabriel Mugabe outside of the Southern African region. Which suits him as he can make all the absurd allegations in the book and he can re-arrange Zimbabwean politics as he sees fit.

His party and their supporters think nothing of beating up on the perceived MDC supporters and members, and the pro-Mugabe police chief will allege that the violence is perpetrated by the MDC.

So when a film about Mugabe is hopefully going to be released, we can only hope that it may make a difference. But even "Mugabe and the White African" failed to get very many people moving in the free world... even with the sad death of the White African, Mike Campbell...

"A new film being promoted as the "definitive account" of President Robert Mugabe is set to get its first screening at an international festival in South Africa next month.

"Whatever Happened to Robert Mugabe?", an 80-minute film by Simon Bright, has been given opening night billing at the 13th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival to be held in Cape Town and Johannesburg from June 9-26. In advance publicity material, the festival’s organisers said the documentary "tells the stories of Rhodesia’s transition to Zimbabwe and the personal journey of Robert Mugabe, using one to explain the other, finally suggesting why Mugabe chose the road he has".

"As a biography it has everything - first-hand accounts of Mugabe’s early life with a desperately poor Catholic mother, what he was like at school, the effects of a Jesuit education and his rage against his absent father," the organisers said in a statement.

They added: "The parallel story of the transition is equally well researched, as are later episodes of importance, notably Lancaster House, the Matabeleland genocide and the growing role of global business in Africa’s economies.

"But it’s the behind-the-scenes jostling for power which Bright exposes that are the most riveting, and from it Mugabe emerges as unquestionably one of history’s most canny, devious leaders. It is a haunting film, the music an achievement in itself, a mix of liberation, folk and contemporary sounds."

Sadly, the chance of this film making it to the UK are limited, and it will do very little to dampen Mugabe's ardour for absolute power...

Perhaps I prefer my version...

-o00o-

Here we go again. The pro-Mugabe police arrest MDC people for talking about the torture going on in Zimbabwe, being perpetrated by the pro-ZANU PF support.

What is criminal about talking about torture?

Mugabe deported the UN's specialist on torture very early this year, so he obviously thinks that ZANU PF are without blemish...

"Police on Monday 23 May 2011 arrested two Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) employees for allegedly convening a workshop to conscientise villagers about torture and its effects in Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North province.

Police intercepted and arrested Florence Ndlovu, the ZimRights regional coordinator for Matabeleland province and Walter Dube, the organisation’s paralegal officer for Matabeleland, Midlands and Masvingo provinces who were coming from Tshino Business Centre in Tsholotsho District, where the police had earlier on disrupted a torture workshop which was scheduled to be held on Monday 23 May 2011.

The police detained the two ZimRights employees at Nyamandlovu Police Station and denied Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) member lawyers Charles Moyo of Moyo and Nyoni Legal Practitioners and Jonathan Tsvangirai of Danziger and Partners Legal Practitioners access to their clients after mounting a rapid response to their arrest. The police denied detaining Ndlovu and Dube and claimed that the two ZimRights employees had been taken to Sipepa Business Centre despite evidence of their detention through the presence of their vehicle which was parked at the police station.

By Monday night, the lawyers were working on filing a habeas corpus petition to challenge the detention of the two ZimRights employees.

The police action in disrupting the ZimRights workshop is in defiance of a court order which was issued on Friday 20 May by Bulawayo Magistrate Ntombizodwa Mazhandu who interdicted some law enforcement agents from prohibiting the organisation from conducting the torture workshop in Matabeleland North province."

Robert Mugabe has thrown the rule book out of the window. He has no regard for human rights, nor does he care how the police acts. Denying legal access is probably just the tip of the iceberg, and I would not be surprised if the ZimRights people have been tortured by Mugabe's secret police - Charlie Ten (CIO).

Mugabe will continue with this sort of action, and he will deny it if ever he is asked (which SADC will not do as they are afraid of offending the 87-year-old dictator).

The police have stated that "the subject of torture is not in line with Zimbabwean culture" - but it is obviously within the "culture" of ZANU PF.

"Magistrate Mazhandu interdicted the police from disturbing or interfering in any way with the ZimRights workshop and ordered the rights organisation to proceed with the workshop as scheduled and promote its right to freedom of association and assembly as set out in Section 21 of the constitution and the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Section 20 of the Constitution."

The same article tells us that WOZA members have been released on bail for 'criminal damage'. Is Mugabe not guilty of malicious injury to a country?

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"Survivors of post independence Gukurahundi massacres who still have bullets lodged in their bodies say they don’t want medical treatment but financial assistance to ward off starvation and get out of poverty.

During a recent healing and reconciliation prayer conducted by a Catholic priest Father Marko Mkandla in Lupane, the survivors broke their silence for the first time in more than 20 years and revealed the extent of their injuries.Some told horrifying tales of how they survived the massacres which still haunts the government.

Former Lupane Member of Parliament, Njabuliso Mnguni says he has been trying without much success to persuade the survivors with bullets lodged in their bodies to seek medical assistance.

"Some donors and doctors are willing to assist with surgery to remove the bullets from the survivors but the villagers say they don’t want medical treatment but financial assistance.Some are now sick because of the injuries they sustained during the shootings," Mnguni told Radio VOP."

Who can balme the survivors? Why have the operation to removed the bullets, only to starve to death after the medical procedure. If the bullats are not affecting their systems, then live with the proof of Mugabe's violent rule in the bidy!

The Gukurahundi is not given anything approaching enough press coverage and Mugabe and his die-hard apologists refuse to do anything positive to alleviate the suffering of those caught up in the maelstrom in the early to mid 1980s.

I saw more than any young man should ever see of the violent deaths of people in Matabelenad South Province, and yet Mugabe excuses the action as 'a moment of madness'.

Probably the longest 'moment' in history. And one of the most destructive.

"Mnguni said during his visit to Lupane villages to speak to the survivors, he discovered that many people were now willing to speak out about what happened and how they survived the mass killings of innocent people by the government's notorious Five Brigade which President Robert Mugabe christened "Gukurahundi".

The brigade, exclusively made up of former ZANLA cadres from Tongogara Assembly Point executed its mission with ruthless efficiency and left a trail of blood and destruction."

Mugabe obviously hopes that natural attrition will rid him of the problem of survivors, but Zimbabweans are a long stronger than he realises. And they will maintain a stoic stance against his brazen efforts to excuse the action.

"Mnguni says in one village he met three women who witnessed 24 villagers burning to death after the soldiers rounded them up, put them in one hut and set it on fire. The three survivors were among the villagers put in the hut in Gwampa area but they managed to break free and fled. The soldiers kept on firing at them but they missed until they were in a safe area."

In my book "Without Honour" I published a photograph of a similar scene taken from the chimurenga. Proof, perhaps, that Mugabe's target has not changed one bit since the advent of independence in 1980.

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We expect, almost as a norm, that court orders in Zimbabwe will be defied by the Mugabe party and all of those institutions attached to him - including the police.

"Magistrate Ignatio Mhene on Monday 23 May 2011 granted an application filed by Nyanga North Member of Parliament Hon. Douglas Mwonzora and 32 Nyanga residents, seeking a referral of their matter to the Supreme Court to determine the violation of several of their constitutional rights.

Hon. Mwonzora and the Nyanga residents who were arrested in February and charged with public violence filed a constitutional challenge on 10 May 2011 arguing that their rights to liberty, protection of the law and protection from inhuman and degrading treatment as enshrined in the Constitution were violated when they were arrested, abducted and detained in filthy police and prison cells in Nyanga and Mutare respectively.

In his ruling which was delivered on Monday 23 May 2011, Magistrate Mhene upheld that the application was not frivolous or vexatious as claimed by the State prosecutor Tirivanhu Mutyasira, who had opposed the application filed by Mwonzora and the residents’ lawyers Jeremiah Bamu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and David Tandiri of Maunga, Maanda and Associates Legal Practitioners, who is a member of ZLHR."

Once Mugabe gets a foot in the door, regardless of the eventual outcome, he will worry and prod, poke and shift the case until it becomes an open sore. And even if the case is thrown out by the courts, or the accused persons are proved innocent, he and his police force are relentless in their continual hassling of the people.

We saw it with Roy Bennett, vindicated in a court of law, but now under the cosh with yet another trumped up charge, dictating his departure from Zimbabwe, then South Africa to London.

Mugabe does not relent in his zeal to visit all manner of 'criminal' charges against those that oppose him - yet his ZANU PF people get away with anything from theft to murder...

"Magistrate Mhene also ordered the police to immediately release upon sight of the court order a Mazda BT 50 vehicle which Hon. Mwonzora had been using to execute COPAC duties.

But as has become customary and in defiance of a court ruling the police refused to release the vehicle even after the lawyers had shown them the court order.

Detective Inspector Kasi, the Officer In Charge of CID Law and Order in Manicaland province, who had earlier advised Detective Inspector Mutema of Nyanga to release the vehicle reportedly made an about turn and ordered Mutema not to release the COPAC vehicle."

And will we ever see any member of the pro-Mugabe ZRP in court for defying a court order? Of course not! After all, Mugabe runs the courts, so how can he bring his own people to the dock to answer for obeying his orders?

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu